I signed up for Hertz Gold to avoid the long wait at the rental counter. I reserved a Ford Focus (or 'similar'), a Focus is a compact car (I never rent subcompacts). I was given a Yaris. I went back to Hertz Gold desk and requested a compact, I was told that Hertz considers Focus and Yaris equivalent. So they subsituted a Versa 109 horsepower (vs the Yaris 106) . They absolutely refused to upgrade me to a compact. So at that point I asked for the free upgrade (Based on the prominent signs 'FREE UPGRADE FOR HERTZ GOLD') but apparently that is only valid if you reserve a mid-size car to start with. At this point I was very annoyed, took the Versa to avoid wasting one more second of my vacation on the Hertz Bait and Switch tactics. So they have lost a customer. The two week international car rental we have planned in June will not be with Hertz.
News flash to Hertz. A COMPACT is a different class than a SUBCOMPACT. A Ford focus is a COMPACT, similar cars would include Corolla , Civic , Jetta , Mazda3 , Dart , Impreza. A SUBCOMPACT includes the Chevrolet Sonic, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Mazda 2, Nissan Versa, Scion xD, Suzuki Swift, and Toyota Yaris.
These two are 'similar'? Hardly.
YARIS MSRP: From $14,895
Curb Weight 2,315 to 2,335 lbs
Horsepower 106
Engine: 1.5 L 4-cylinder
Dimensions: 156? L x 67? W x 59? H
FOCUS MSRP: From $17,225
Curb weight: 2,935 to 3,055 lbs
Horsepower: 123 to 350 hp
Engine: 2.0L 4-cyl.
Dimensions: 172-179? L x 72? W x 58? H
NOTE: Avis offers Economy and Compact categories. They clearly know the difference.